Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1912. EDITORIAL NOTES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10405, 19 July 1912, Page 4

Rangitikei Advocate. TWO EDITIONS DAILY FRIDAY, JULY 19, 1912. EDITORIAL NOTES.

THE specialist nearly _ always looks »t public questions from the stand- : polar of bjs profession, aacf this Ifl probably the reason why Dr. Hogbsa, of Schools, in making hia suggestions to the Education Clonmission, did cot realise that the Ooufaronoe on the Local Goveromest Bill shewed that public opinion is strongly against any devise which may aim at charging the oast o£ odaoatisa to local rafcf.s. For that reason all ina suggestions aro asc-ksa. Snob charging would not only be aa excessive balden on lha ratepayers, bet would inevitably lead to trie breakdown of oar whole adnc-iticn system. Moreover there is every reason to believe that If the new Ministry deed wth the question of local government it will ba oa 4 very different lines to (boss of the abortion produced by the lata Ministry. As we have pointed put on previous occasions our system of local (■government is almost perfect, and all that iu really required in connection with it is a larger contribution from the Treasury to , She local bodies, or that the State should provide and. maintain all arterial roads.

THOUGH the whole truth in regard to the Ministerial methods of the past will probably never be revealed, already a little flight is 'being thrown on them. The new Finance Minicter, Mr Alien, is taking prompt steps to ascertain the real cost to the country of the flying of fibs last 4}4 million feite. Ministerialists ,;nd their supporting journals strongly denounced these who alleged that its flotation was a costly affairs. The critics were reviled a > | injsrers of the country’s credit, and those who were plunging it into debt at a ruinous figure were belauded as its saviours. Mr Allen, however, though not yet in possession of all the facts, says this loan

will cost something like five percent per annum, in other words the financial work of a recent Administration was so badly done as to cause the State to get no better term thaii those which can be obtained on good security from any Bank in the colony. This loan, too, it most be remembered, falls dne in two years, and there will be farther expense incurred in raising money to meet it.

THE Hon. O, Samuel, M. L. 0., recently took exception to compromise in politics, and he was certainly justified. Theie|shonld he no com* promise so far as principles are concerned. Unfortunately the chief object of most of onr politicians is to keep in office, or to gain office, and they readily abandon principles if doing so wili enable temporary success to be achieved. Each party should define its principles, “and from these there should be no divergence. The people are not truly concerned over the question of which particular set of men shall draw Ministerial pay, bnt they are deeply interested in political principles. We trust that tjia party which la now in dffioe will never deviate from the principles It has laid down and aWhloh were instrumental In removing Its predecessors from office.

IF the Australian Navigation becomes law the Australian sailor of tbe future should develop into an effeminate dandy, and the hardy man should disappear. The handy man of coarse will go speedily new that there is specialisation so that tho carpenter may not use a spade or tho bricklayer touch a saw or a plana. It is not stated whether the Bill proposes to provide each sailor with a valet, but if this has been omitted doubtless some politician who may desire to win sailors’ votes, wili try to have it inserted at the committee stage of the Bill. This measure will give great encouragement to inventors, because appliances will have to be devised to do all the hard and dangerous work aboard ship, as no self-respecting feather-bed marine unionist will condescend to go aloft in rough weather.

WE observe that tbs Eaw Zealand Tltuea yesterday made a vicious attack on the Eaagitikei Racing Ciab in connection with the restored permits. 14 is evidently some years since the writer of tlje article visited Balls racecourse, and he can have no knowledge of the members of the Olub or he wonld not have made statements relating so the appointments of the course, and the politics of members, which are entirely op posed to the actual facts. Evidently the writer was desirous of attacking the Ministry who performed an act of justice in restoring permits that should never have been taken away.